Automobile.



vvv

En DI AUTOMOBLE.

-PFLICTON FILED IUNE 9| 9|5 Patented Nov. 7; 1916.

| EN r1 il de :'00 SS e rl E.A D. SELF.

AUTOMOBILE.

'APPucAnou msn luNE 9. 1915.

Patented N 0V. 7, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 `checkingV wheels through EDWARD n. SELF, or FLORENCE, ITALY. a

A UToMoBILn.

' the other driving wheel is held stationary.`

of gearing called In the present construction of automobiles the driving axle `isfurnished with a systemfd the dierential.v

When on account ofthe Vcondition of the street or for other reasons, one of thefdriv \ing wheels of an automobile-is found onV account of mud or other reason no longer held' s by the contact with' the street, it begins to re- 'volve too rapidly while the other driving wheel will revolve at count of the contact with the street and the normal action of the dierential; and in consequence the wheel that has the least attri. .tion assumes, on account yof the said diifer` ential, a great useless velocity while the other that is on rmer ground remains almost immovable and the vehicle can not ad vance.

The invention that forms the object of the present `application for patent has` theobject of remedy-,ing the above mentioned diiiiculty by retarding the excessive velocity of either wheel in such a way that the velocity plished in '50 brakes that. -are usually applied to the two :operate usefully.l In

assumed by the wheel that hasthe less contact is assumed to a. certain point by the other wheel that is in a better condition to other words, by means of a brake, the wheel or part of the difl'er' ential to which it corresponds that revolves with too great a velocity on account of the lack of resistance has now a resistance equal or even greater than that-of the otherwheel, which is thus compelled to -turn on account of the differential. This-purpose is accomthe following manner: tolthe two driving wheels that act together'with the same pressure o n the right and left hand wheelandhave a single control by hand 0r pedal, are added two other similar systems of levers to those ofthe brakes already in use, each with independent control.

Specification of a less velocity on ac- Ainvention and which System Letters'ranura'. Patented'Nov. 7,1916. Appucaeonmeuunea,1915. serialNo'. 33,155.-

The two" systems `of (new) brakes can be the same as @those already in use and ltheircontrol/'can be. located onthe same shafts that carry the brakes actuallyv used or they can'be. applied directly to any'part of the axles of theadiif'erential connected with each one of the two wheels, or there can be used for the ob]ect Iam describing, two other brakes absolutely independentof those actually in use, the indispensable lcondition being that each one-of the two brakes should operate case that ionelof'the wheels, for example the one on the'rl'ght, hasy insufficient adherence to vthe streetl and revolves very rapidly, the

[independently of the. other; Therefore, in

left hand wheel, `if wellsupported on Vthe ground and' lsubject to. resistance; 'revolves' withv amuch `less velocity or vperhaps remainsv stopped because theaction of the differential permits that there may be a great difference of velocityb'etweenone wheel and f the other.4

Operatingon the 4right hand wheel one of the brakes of the new systemA of independent brakes that is the object of the present app ication for patent, the said right hand wheel will immediately decrease its velocityv be increased'on account of' theusual and well-known'operation of the differential.

So that the operator .can easily know that onefof-thewheels is in an abnormal condition' Viii-:respect to lits velocity,` that is, revolves with too great rapidity, and thus apply the new independentbrake to one o f the proper wheels rather than the other, it is convenient and important that the system of braking above indicated befurnished with,an indicator that shows which of the two wheels revolves with the greater velocity. This indicator, that forms a part of the will be Jdescribed below,` is composed of a pointer that turns to the right or left wheelsrevolves with greater velocity; The

-movement of this pointer is obtained by a of three conical gear wheels, that of the center attached to the pointer having two movements,lone normal in respect tothe external gears, and of rotation together with the shaft that carries the ointer; the said movement of the gear and ent shaft occurs when the external wheels do not, revolve with the same velocity. The external gears are operated by means of two series of gear- 'andthe-velocity. of the left hand wheel will when one or other of the y ing and flexible shafts, each dependent upon the corresponding driving wheel of the auto.- mobile. One of thebest methods of application is that for example here described and illustrated by drawings.

It is to be noted that the control of the independent brakes may be obtained by pedals and. hand levers.' v

The following is a description of an embodiment of my invention, reference being` had to the accompanying drawings, vin

. which,

Figure 1 shows a plan View of the chassis of an automobile; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2, Fig. 4; Fig. 3 is a detail ,showing the connection between the brake cranks and their connecting rod; Fig. l'fis a sectionV on the line 1 -4;, Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a detail of a foot pedal; Fig. 6 is a. section on the line 6-6, Fig. 7, showing a modified form ofbrake; Fig. 7 is a plan view of the brake and shaft shown in Fig. 6; Fig. 8 is a plan view of an' indicating mechanism for indicating which one of the driving wheels is moving at the faster rate; Fig. 9 is /a side elevation of the same; and, Fig. 'l0 is a front elevation of thevv same.

Referring'more particularly to the drawings, 1-1 is the ordinary frame of an automobile, supported by the wheels -2r -2 and 3-3, the latter being mounted respectively upon the shafts 4-4 in bearings l? and connected through the ordinary differential 5. The brake wheels are each provided with brake drums 6, within which are brake shoes 7 pivotally connected at `8l and normally drawn toward each other by springs 9.

forms no part of my present invention, the lnventlon conslsting in means` for operatlngthe two cams and hence the two pairs of brake shoes simultaneously or independently as the operator may desire.

L1111 are two properly mounted sleeves, containing independently movable shafts 112, each of which carries on its outer end a cam 10 for operating thecorresponding pair of brake shoes.- These `shafts are provided with two crank arms 12-12 to which are connected tie rods 13-13 in the manner shown in Fig. 3, the tie rod being slotted so as to provide lost motion. These tie rods are in turn connected to crank arms 14-14 which are mounted upon thesuitably supported shaft 15. To this shaft 15 is connected a link 16, which is connected to a foot pedal 17. When the foot pedal 17 `is actuated, the two shafts 112 within the sleeves 1];*11 will be simultaneously Lacayo@ turned so as to actuate their cams and simultaneously apply the brakes on both of the driving wheels.

" In order to apply the brake on' one driv ing wheel independentlyl of that upon the,

ycrank arms 18 and 20 are connected togetherby a tie rod 21 and the crank .arms 18 and 20 are connected together by a tie lrod 21, the connections between the two tie rods last mentioned and their respective cranks 18 and 18 being also a lost motion connection as shown in Fig.- 3. ".lo the shafts 19 and 19 are connected levers, which terminate in foot pedals 22-22. By actuating .the pedal'22 ythe wheel 3 can be braked by its cam 10 independently of wheel 3 and by actuating the pedal 22 .the wheel 3 'can be ,braked independently of the wheel v3.

By meansparticularly described. above, the wheels 3-3 can be braked simultane-I ously through the lever 17 or can be braked independently yby either of `the leversy 22-22. The slotted' connection `between the/tie rod and crank arm as shown in Fig.

pivoted to a fixed member, ywhile the other end is connected to a link 28, which in turn is connected to the crank arm 14. By operating this brake lever 23, the cams l0 can be simultaneously actuated so as` to brake both the driving wheels 3 and 3 when desired. l

,'The control pedals 22 and 22 of the independent brakes are hinged at 29 as indicated in Fig.l 5. The object of this hinge is to prevent the operator from confusing the independent ,pedals with the usual brake. pedals. To make use of the independent brake, it is suflicient to raise the pedal with the foot until it becomes rigid, whereupon it can be used to operate the brake to which it is connected.

The system of independent brakes beside being applied to drums upon the respective wheels, can also be applied tov other parts of the'driving shaft, as indicated in Figs. 6 and 7. In Figs. 6 and 7 brake drums 30 30 are shown connected to the respective driving shafts on each side of the dife ferential. Each of these drums is surrounded by a strap 31, one end of which is secured to the lever 32 tol which' a link such as the links 21-21 is connected so as to be actuated by the two independent pedals respectively, said independent brakes being thus supplemental to the brakes used for simultaneously braking.

The indicator A for showing the driver which wheel is stationary or moving morev vaxis at right angles to the axis on which the gears 38-38 are mounted, engages with the inner faces of these double bevel gears. This gear 39 is free to revolve on its own axis and is carried by a shaft 40 whose axis coincides with the axis of the gears 38-38 and is free torevolve. This shaft carries a vpointer 41. With this indicator, when the driving wheels are runningV at the same speed, the gears 38 and '38 are driven in opposite directions at the same speed with one another, with the result that the gear 39 rotates upon its axis but does not cause the shaft 40 to turn. If, however, one of the driving wheels is .held stationary while the other driving wheel is rotated in a forward direction, the shaft 40 will be rotated so as to move the indicating pointer 41 in one direction. I f, however, the other driving wheel is held stationary and the driving wheel first mentioned is rotated in a forward direction, the shaft 40 will be actuated so as to move the pointer 41 in the oppo- `site direction. This clearly indicates to the driver which of th e,driving wheels is sta-4 tionary and which is moving. It also indicates which one is moving at the faster rate. The brakes control the indicator through the wheels so that the indicator shows the effect produced by either brake when independently actuated.

. As'will be evident to those skilled in the art, my invention permits of various modilcations without 'departing from the spirlt thereof or the scope of the 'appended claims.

lVhat I claim is:

1. In an automobile, the combination of two rear wheels, differential gearing therefor, brakes for said wheels, forwardly extending means for independently actuating said brakes, an indicator visible to the operator of said automobile when applying said brakes, actuating means connecting said wheels to said indicator, said indicator being controlled by said brake actuating means through said wheels, brakes and connections.

2. In an automobile. the combination of two rear Wheels, a brake for each of said Wheels, respectively, two independently movable 'rear lever-members for actuating said brakes, tie-rods connected to said levermembers, forward lever-members to which said tie-rods are connected, means for actuating said forward lever-members independently of each other, a lever-carrying countershaft, tie-'rods connecting said countershaft to each of said rear lever-members, means for actuating said countershaft so as to apply both of said brakes simultaneously through said rear lever-members, one at least of the ends of each of said countershaft tierods having a lost motion connection.

3. In an automobile, the combination of two rear wheels, a brake for each of said wheels respectively, two independently movable rear lever-members Afor actuating Said brakes, tie-rods connected to said levermembers, forward lever-members to which said tie-rods are connected, means for actuating said forward lever-members independently of each other, a lever-carrying countershaft, tie-rods connecting said countershaft to each of said rear lever-members, means for actuating said countershaft so as to apply both of said brakes simultaneously through said rea-r lever-members, one at least of the ends of each of said tie-rods having a lost motion connection.

EDWARD D. SELF. 

